Locomotive



Oct. 21 1.9240 1,512,709

.J. A. PFEIFFER LOCOMOTIVE Filed April 10 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Qct. 21 1924.

1,512,709 J. A. PFEIFFER LOCOMOTIVE Filed April 10, 1924' 2 Sheets- $hee1 2 Patented first. 2i,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. PFEIFFER, OF P HILABELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE BALD- WIN LOCOMOTIVE WORKS, OF ?ENN$YLVANIA.

OF PHILADELZHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION LOCONEOTIVE.

Application filed April 10, 1924. Serial No. 705,604.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, JOHN A. PFEIFFER, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia. Pennsylvania. have invented certain Improvements in Locomotives, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for automatically supporting the frame and superstructure of a locomotive upon the driving boxes.

One object of the invention is to provide a construction, whereby the springs that carry the locomotive can be placed lower than in the usual construction of locomotive, thus permitting boilers of larger diameters to be used without exceeding a height above the track that would be safe in operating the locomotive.

A further object of the invention is to allow the rear driving wheels to be located nearer the iire box than heretofore and thus to distribute the weight of the locomotive more uniformly on the driving wheel journals.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of suflicient ot a locomotive to illustrate my invention, the axles being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a plan view;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 38, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4t is a transverse sectional view on the line 14:, 1;

Fig. 5 is a detached perspective view of the transverse spring-carrying beam;

Fig. 6 is a detached perspective view of the cross bar; and

Fig. 7 is a detached perspective view of one of the saddles.

The frame 1 of the locomotive has pedestals 2, 2 for the boxes 3 of the rear driving axles 4. Mounted on the boxes are saddles 5. These saddles are U-shaped in form and straddle the upper member of the frame 1. Extending from side to side of the locomotive is a beam 6. Fig. 5, which has foot plates 7 at each side that extend above the saddles. Located between each foot plate and its saddle is a roller 8, resting in a cavity in each part, as shown in Fig. 3. The beam has a rectangular opening 9 near each end directly back of the saddles and the side frame of the locomotive. A semielliptic spring 10 is located in each opening 9. The central strap of the spring rests on a seat at the bottom of the opening. The bottoms of the springs are considerably below the top of the saddles, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, thereby reducing the height of the spring structure over the boxes. The beam isrecessed at each end, as at 11, to allow it to be guided by the saddles, which project into the recesses, as shown. The beam may be provided with ribs, as shown, or may be designed differently to give it the required strength.

One end of each spring 10 is connected by a link 12 to a cross bar 13, Fig. 6, which extends from one side of the locomotive to the other. The ends of this bar project into the openings in. the side frames 1, and are connected to the equalizing lever 14:, which is pivoted to the frame, and is con nected to the balance of the forward equalizing mechanism of the locomotive as shown in Fig. 1.

The opposite end of each spring 10 is connected by a link 15 to the forward end of the rear diagonal equalizing lever 16, which is pivoted to the frame and is connected at its other end by a link 17 to a spring 18, resting on the rear trailer track axle 19, shown in outline in Fig. 1.

It will be noticed that the springs 10 of the rear driving axle are considerably below the spring 20 above the forward driving axle, which, in the present instance, rest directly above the saddle. The springs 10 may be located above or below the position shown in the drawings, depending upon the type of locomotive to which the invention is applied.

The construction hereinbefore described allows the boiler to be lowered, and, consequently, a larger boiler can be installed than in the construction where the springs are above the boxes of the rear driving axle.

This construction enables the rear driving axle to be placed close to the outside throat sheet of the fire box and gives an easy ac cess to the washoutplugs, also allowing the washing of the boiler to be accomplished expeditiously.

I claim:

1. The combination in a locomotive, of side frames; axle boxes mounted in the frames; an axle in the boxes; a saddle mounted on each axle box; a transverse beam resting on the saddles; and a portion of anequalizing gear mounted on the beam back of each frame and saddle.

2. The combination in a locomotive, of side frames; axle boxes mounted in the frame; an axle in the boxes; a saddle mounted on each axle box; a transverse beam resting on the saddles; and an equalizing spring mounted in each end of the beam back of the saddles and frame.

3. The combination in a locomotive of side frames; axle boxes mounted in the frames; an axle in the boxes; a saddle mounted on each axlebox and straddling the frame; a transverse beam, above the axle, resting on the saddles; and equalizing springs mounted in the beam back of the spring, said springs being connected to the equalizing gear of the locomotive.

4. The combination in a locomotive, of side frames; axle boxes mounted in th frames; an axle in the boxes; a saddle mounted on each axle box; a transverse beam above the axle and carried by the saddles; a member of an equalizing gear in each end of the beam back of the saddles; a transverse bar connected to the members of the equalizing gear carried by the beam and extendin into openings in the frame; and equalizing mechanism connected to the ends of the beam.

5. The combination. in a locomotive, of side frames; an axle; boxes for the axle mounted in the frames; saddles mounted on the boxes and straddling the upper portion of the frames; a transverse beam supported by the saddles; and springs on the bealn back of the frames and forming part of the equalizing gear of the locomotive, the bottom of the springs being below the top of the saddies.

6. The combination in a locomotive, of side frames; an axle; boxes for the axle mounted in the side frames; saddles mounted on the boxes; a transverse beam extending above the saddles; a roller between each end of the beam and a saddle; and springs of side equalizing gears located on the beam back of the frames.

JOHN A. PFEIIEFER. 

